Interment mat



Aug 2 1927' J. M. STERN ET Ai.

INTERMENT MAT' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 261 1925 www O ww 3 Aug. 2 1927.

-J. M. STERN ET AL INTERMENT MAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1925 I gwuentoo I'YTERN EMELDER I M(Mmr4w% Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. STERN" AND EMIL M. ELDER, F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IN TERMENT MAT.

Application led January Our invention relates to an improvement in a decorative mat for interment purposes, our object being to p'rovide a durable mat which is particularly constructed to closely simulate natural grass; which may be u sed repeatedly in lining graves and coverlng newly excavated earth; which will withstand rough Wear and usage out doors under all conditions of weather and retain a natural and attractive appearance; and with which the act or ceremony of depositing a dead body in the earth may be deprived of much of its fear, dread and abhorrence.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a grave with a pile of newlyexcavated earth deposited at one side thereof and a coiiin supported in a lowering position above the grave, and showing the sides and top border of the grave and also the pile of 'earth completely covered by a number of mats of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view of a single mat, and Fig. 3 a bottom view thereof. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, enlarged, of a. corner piece of the mat.

To mitigate or lessen the grief and natural repulsion of feeling of the mourners during burial proceedings we have conceived the idea of completely concealing all evidences of freshly turned earth around a grave by utilizing a plural number of rectangular mats A, B and C, each having a grass-like material 2 affixed to one side of a pliable body 3 of woven material, such as heavy burlap or canvas, the border portions or corners of the woven body being provided with a series of metal grommets or eyelets 4 adapted to receive metal nails or wooden pegs 5. These 49 pegs are driven into the earth to hold the mats in fixed position wherever placed or suspended. Thus, the side walls of earth of grave Gr are concealed from` view by lining them with a mat A approximately four feet wide by twenty-two feet long, the upper edge of the mat having grommets at spaced in` tervals to permit pegs 5 to be driven into the earth walls near the top of the grave, thereby suspending the mat evenly at all points 50 within the grave closely against the earth walls. In many instances where the earth is loose, wet or of a nature apt to collapse, it is customary to brace the slide walls and to cover the earth with wooden planks D, and in that case the lining mat A efectually conceals all the bracing parts and implements.

26, 1925. Serial No. 4.954.

The earth bordering the grave and the planks, if any, are covered with separate pieces or strips of mats B of any desirable vwidth and length, and these are fastened down by pegs also. The excavated earth is usually piled at one side of the grave, and

this mound is completely covered with a large mat C which may be nine feet wide and twelve feet long or any other desirable size. When the grave and surrounding earth surface are covered in this way the entire area matches the natural grassv adjoining, and this matching effect is obtained byconstructing the mat specifically as follows: Thus, long strips of raia, a ber obtained from the leafstalks of the raifia-'palm of Madagascar, are cut into short pieces of substantially equal length and'laid parallelly in profusion in a straight row-upon one side of woven body 2 from edge to edge thereof and then sewed in a straight line at the middle of the row transversely of the ber pieces. A second row of rafia pieces is then sewed similarly parallelly adjacent the first row with one edge or the ends of the pieces overlapping and intermingling with the fibers of the first row.

A large number of such rows of short piecesof raffia are thus sewed to the woven goods 2 successively in clos.. formation, the sewed seams 6 extending parallelly at spaced intervals of the goods and the raHia fibers being closelyintermingled and more or less matted together like lawn grass. The woven goods and the raiiia itself are then colored a brilliant grass green and treated with a glycerin solution torgive the fibers a glossy appearance corresponding to the finish found in natural grass and imparting to the fibres the property of readily sheddin .water and also the quality of permitting t e fibers to be easily washed and cleaned after being trampled on and covered with dirt. In this connection it should be understood that an article of this kind is used outdoors in all kinds of weather and is laid frequently upon wet earth or mud and is exposed to severe and tryingconditions in use. The bers and woven material are also treated with a fire-proofing substance, otherwise the. matted fibres would quickly ignite and spread flames rapidly during use of the mat or when stored. In brief, after the matis treated its top portion is grass green and resembles grass s'o closely that it -can not be readily identified as an artificial product; it is durable as the fibers are tough and strong;

edly or interment purposes in all kin covering earth, comprising it is resistant to water and lire; and may be readil washed and cleaned and used re t o weather.

What we claim, is: l 1. An interment mat for lining graves and s a woven textile body havin short pieces o y in closely mtermin led relation upon one Iside thereof, said r being colored grass green and having a glosssy surface and water shedding properties, and bothv the textile body and the fiber being treated with a fireprooing substance,

2. A decorative gravemat of the character stated, comprising a textile abri base, parallel and continguous rows of bl es of grass arranged on, said baseLof substantially uni railia ber sewed f form le hs of glass blades parallel to each other an extending transversely of the rows -and with the edges of the several rows substantially contiguous to each other, rows of stitches iassing through said blades of grass and sai textile fabrlc base longitudinally and substantially centrally of each of said rows of grass transversely of the blades thereof, and a thin film of waterproofing material enveloping each blade of grass whereby a fadeless mat is produced which is impervious to the elements and which will retain the natural a Pearance of grass.

In testimony w ereof we aix our signatures JOSEPH M STEEN.

EMIL M. ELDER. 

